I was not expecting the true origins of the viral ‘10 people died in a Bronx fire’ news broadcast

For literal years, we’ve heard the “10 people died in the Bronx last night due to a fire” news broadcast and wondered what the hell happened.

The full line, which first went viral in 2019, reads: “10 people died in the Bronx last night due to a fire that killed 10 people in the Bronx last night during a fire.”

Though that’s undoubtedly the most viral part, the next line follows: “Officials say all 10 people died due to the fire, which was too hot for their bodies.”

The sound has gone viral once again in 2026, with one person writing on TikTok: “When you gotta write a 500 word essay and only got 459.”

@.immaloseit

💔 #fyp #foryou #xybca #hihihi #school

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“Me explaining my past relationships to people,” another said.

Someone else sarcastically joked: “Yeah but what actually happened was there a fire in the Bronx???? Was anyone hurt????”

But it’s got me wondering: What did happen during that Bronx fire that killed 10 people?

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The truth of ’10 people died in the Bronx last night due to a fire’

I was today-years-old when I realised that the viral sound is completely made up. There was never a fire in the Bronx that killed 10 people in the Bronx due to a fire. Sorry, what?

In reality, the line is from the FX comedy show Louie, which streamed from 2010 to 2015 with five seasons. Specifically, it’s from season four, episode nine, entitled Elevator Part 6. In it, there are cutaways to a fake news channel where the now-viral line is said.

Credit: FX

So yeah, we were all totally fooled for over a decade, and it’s probably down to one simple reason: It’s so believable. News blunders are a staple of the internet in 2026, from the BBC anchor who stuck her middle finger up to Deedee MegaDoodoo.

Still, I feel like my understanding of the world is crashing down.

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Featured image credit: FX